Of Cloaks
by Medieval Fan
Summary: They're arguing in the middle of the forest when something unexpected comes along. Well, she told him he needed a cloak... Alistair/Fem!Cousland. Short oneshot. My first Dragon Age fic in a while.


Rated T to be safe.

* * *

The silence around the forest was deafening, and not a critter was in sight. In fact, it had been like that for a while now. Was hunting always this disappointing? He was just about ready to - wait. There! That bush had _moved_. Frantically he began pointing at it. In a quick movement, his companion notched an arrow, aimed, and...

_Glared_ at him.

"Alistair," she hissed. "That movement you just saw? That was the damned _wind_!"

Alistair frowned and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh."

Well, how was he suppose to know? He had little knowledge of the skill. With a frustrated sigh Arianna picked up her pace, walking ahead and leaving him to stumble into step behind her.

She was an odd one. She'd been raised in Highever as a teryn's daughter, but seemed to fit in with the outdoors well enough, hardly ever complaining about filthy it was. Unlike himself, she had a knack of actually knowing how to use a map and know exactly where they were at all times. Tracking both enemies and animals, knowing the safest spots to camp: those were a few other specialties. Stealth was also a talent of hers.

That creeped him out a bit.

Once he had been casually sitting plopped in front of the roaring campfire - trying eat a semi-decent meal he had cooked up, and she had melted from out of the shadows suddenly, scaring the living daylights out of him. Back to the point, a large, dark green cloak was always on her back, blending in with just about any surrounding. She never made a sound.

She halted her pace suddenly. "This was a bad place to hunt, I think."

"You think?"

"Look around you," she demanded. "These thin trees provide only an abundance of shade and the flat ground has short grass. There's nowhere to hide. No animal would lurk around here." She paused a moment, studying him. "Or maybe you're scaring them away. Perhaps it would be best not to bring you along next time."

He brought up a hand over to his heart, gasping. "You would me deeply, dear lady."

"Good," she grumbled. "Maybe that will snap some sense into you and make you twice about your attire."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my attire?"

"You've wearing _such_ heavy armor," she explained, poking him in the chest with a slender finger. "I'm sure all of Fereldan can hear its constant rattling!"

"Hey hey hey, there's no need for that! This armor happens to keep me _alive_, I'll have you know. Besides, it can't be that loud, can it?"

"And your weapons," she rambled on, "just _what_ are you going to do with those?"

"Well," he began sarcastically, "I was just hoping to run up to a creature I somehow manage to find find, bash it with my shield a few times, and then kill it with my sword."

"Do you really think so? Well, actually, that isn't a bad - oh no, you can't! And do you know why? Because they would have heard your bloody armor from a mile away and would have taken off ages before you even arrived!"

Ouch, that hurt. What was the point in this discussion again?

"You're not even wearing a cloak! Your armor is far too clean. Blinding, even. How do you expect to camouflage?"

"Me, wear a cloak?" he asked, shooting her a grin. "You're joking, right? I imagine it'd be awfully hot wearing one of those thick pieces of cloth along with my armor."

"Th-"

This was getting rather _ridiculous_. Here they stood in the middle of Maker knows where and she was pointing fingers at him. It served no purpose.

He pressed his hand loudly into his forehead in exasperation, interrupting her. "All right, Ari. You win. Now, how about we just turn around and head back towards camp, since nothing's obviously going to happen out here today? Maybe we could even talk down to the others about their dressing problems. I personally think that the witch needs it the most."

Before she could get out a word, her head snapped around. In an instant she was on her knees upon the ground, pressing her ear against the hard earth. He frowned. What was she doing now?

"Get down!" she commanded in a whisper.

Confusion etched onto his features. "Why are you-?"

"Damn it, this is not the time for questions. Just get down, _now_!"

Following her orders, he crouched down beside her. However, that didn't seem to be what she meant. Immediately she shoved him down onto his back and leapt onto him, straddling him. She placed her bow and quiver beside them and leaned down, pressing her small form against his. Her cloak was spread out, covering them both completely.

Alistair's face _burned_. He was one hundred percent sure his face was beat red. Never had he been so close to a woman.

"What in Andraste's name are you _doing_?" he asked.

"Hush!" she hissed, glaring at him with her nose pushed against his. "Do you want them to hear you?"

"Who?"

"Shh!"

It was then that he heard the faint sound of voices not too far away. She turned her head to listen, making his lips brush against her cheek. Oh, he heard snippets of many different conversations, but he just couldn't focus. His heart was drumming hard against his chest and he prayed to the Maker that Arianna couldn't hear. Thankfully, she seemed more focused on what was happening on the outside of their cloak cocoon than how bloody _close_ they were at the moment.

Why couldn't he just _die_ right now?

An eternity seemed to pass before the voices died away. She sprang up and off of him instantly. The retreating forms of a large group of bandits were in the distance. Alistair shakily stood to his feet, avoiding her gaze. She, however, didn't seem affected by their recent contact at all. In fact, she seemed a little annoyed.

"I told you that you needed a cloak," she muttered, shaking her head with a sigh.

* * *

Author's Note: My game disk broke a long time ago! Sniffle sniffle. Tear tear. Back to the point, I'm not sure if Alistair is entirely in character or not. This little story has been lurking in my mind for a long time though, so I decided to publish it.

Reviews - both good or bad, are always and greatly appreciated! =)


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